


Protection

by ChangingbacktoBellamort500



Series: The Seattle Years [2]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23756647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangingbacktoBellamort500/pseuds/ChangingbacktoBellamort500
Summary: How do you protect someone when you don't know who you have to protect them against?
Series: The Seattle Years [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582123
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Protection

The grass underneath her feet is wet from the rain earlier that evening. Julie Finlay hobbles over the grass; her face bruised and lip bleeding. She rubs her forehead; she has a killer headache.

Finn can't remember what happened. The last few hours are a blur; she isn't sure of anything, only that she has to keep walking, her mind doesn't know what it's doing, but her body does.

She recognises this route as a shortcut to D.B and Barbara's house. It's instinct; she's in trouble, find D.B. Finn wipes away blood from her chin with a wince.

It feels strange to trust a man she's known as a few months. She's never been inside his house, only sat outside in the car waiting; an occasional wave from Barbara on the doorstep. But here she is limping in the dark, bruised and bloody to his house. Because she knows somewhere in the foggy mess of her brain, he can help.

She's getting nearer. Finn recognises the lamp post with felt-tip scribbles on that even the rain from earlier couldn't wash away. It's stubbornness and instinct that drives her now, her brain and body crying out to lie on the ground and curl up into a ball.

But she won't. Ever since she was a child, stubbornness had been her strongest trait. It was a blessing and a curse.

Finn could cry with relief when she sees D.B's house, but the tears don't come. All her energy is in dragging herself up the path. It takes everything she has to thump on the door. When it opens, she has the bizarre urge to apologise to D.B for waking him up, but the words won't come out of her mouth.

"Christ Jules," D.B says, face twisted in worry. "What happened to you?" He's trying to prop her up, stop her falling flat on her face.

"Don't know," Finn manages to choke out. Her brain feels a little clearer, panic at knowing swells inside her chest and she's afraid the feeling may crush her.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital, okay," He tells her softly. Finn wants to protest, but can't. Right now she's confused, in pain and scared. All she can do is trust D.B to make the right choices for her.

* * *

"My head hurts," Finn mumbles, opening her eyes. She knows she is in the hospital but isn't sure why.

"Not surprising," D.B informs her gently. "You have injuries to the back of the head, face, ribs, and legs. The drug test revealed GHB in your system. How you were able to get to my house is a mystery. Thankfully, there are no signs of sexual assault, but we are still trying to figure out what happened to you,"

Finn let's out a very unladylike grunt as she tries to sit up. "I remember leaving the lab, I think I went to a bar afterwards, but everything is hazy,". Her voice wobbles, she knows D.B noticed it.

The image of downing vodka shots enters her head, music loud and her laughter. "I was drinking, I was having a good time then I went outside I think. No, I went up to the roof, I remember going up on a roof, but I don't know why,".

"You need to rest. Stop trying to force yourself to remember. Trust me and the team to find out what happened okay," D.B tells her, hand resting on her shoulder. She wants to do that, but not remembering is more concerning to her than her injuries.

* * *

"Give me some good news, Mia," D.B demands walking into the break room. He knows he's been pushing the team hard the last few days. Harder than Tate, even though Finn was his goddaughter. It was his home though she rolled up injured and out of it.

"We found the bar Finn was at. It's a dive bar. No CCTV, but the owner remembers Finn going to the roof with a guy. We went up there and it was a bloodbath," Mia explains, ruffling her black hair. "There is no way it's just Finn's. We are waiting for DNA to see if it is hit in the system,".

"Whatever went down up there," Zack pipes up, the young CSI pouring himself a cup of coffee. "It was bad. Does Finn remember anything?".

"No. It's driving her crazy that she can't remember,".

* * *

Tate had called D.B to his office. D.B sat there waiting for the man to speak. DNA got the result back ages ago; Tate had them, and when D.B had pushed Quinn the best DNA lab tech they had, he said to ask Tate.

"What I say doesn't leave this room," Tate begins sitting back in his chair. "About a week ago, Finn and I were working a case, gang-related shooting. One of the suspects hinted about a dirty cop in the department. I got Finn to quietly look into it. She must have been on to something because officer Hartlepool's blood is on that roof,".

Officer Hartlepool is double Finn's weight, and almost twice her height D.B thinks to himself. He had never really liked the man, always choosing to go with what was easiest rather than what was right.

"Have you gone to I.A yet?" D.B asks, secretly thinking that Tate should have done so originally. Investigating people in your own department rarely went well. He put Finn in the firing line and in danger.

"Yes. They want total silence until they get here. Hartlepool is missing. There was a lot of blood on that roof, I need you on the quiet to see if he's gone to any hospitals,".

* * *

"You're hiding something from me," Finn says between a yawn. Finn can tell by the way D.B shuffles his feet she's right.

"We found Hartlepool blood on the roof with yours. A lot of it. Tate told me you were investigating suspected corruption in the department," D.B explains. "He's missing. I. A is involved. He came here for treatment before doing a disappearing act,".

"There's more I can sense it," Finn replies, head tilted looking at D.B to say what he wants, but isn't.

"There was someone else up on that roof, but we don't know who. It worries me. Hartlepool had an accomplice and it could be anyone. Another cop, someone that works at the lab, no one to do with law enforcement. How can I keep you safe when I don't know who I'm protecting you against,".


End file.
